County: Meath Site name: CAUSETOWN
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 04E0826
Author: Thaddeus C. Breen, for Valerie J. Keeley.
Site type: Fulacht fia
Period/Dating: Prehistoric (12700 BC-AD 400)
ITM: E 689449m, N 773240m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.701188, -6.645331
The site consisted of a burnt spread with cremated bone, which was discovered by Breandán Ó Ríordáin in the course of monitoring groundworks for the construction of a 220kV transmission station (see Excavations 2004, No. 1203). It was situated in a low valley, with land sloping gently upwards to the north and south from a small stream.
The site was initially cleaned back to reveal an irregular oval of burnt material. It was not homogenous but consisted of patches of fire-shattered sandstone alternating with areas of black, charcoal-rich silty soil with cremated bone, and patches of grey-brown soil with charcoal flecks. There was also a small darker area in the centre and three black patches along the eastern edge and some lighter-coloured linear features crossing the site. Three flints, including two definite implements, were found in these spreads.
Four circular or oval bowl-shaped pits were found, two of which were under the burnt spread. All of these contained cremated bone. One in particular had a concentration of cremated bone in a hollow cut into one side. This appears to have been the source of the cremated bone scattered across the centre of the spread, probably by later ploughing. The site was crossed by two sets of furrows, which cut the burnt spread: shallow spade cultivation furrows and narrower furrows that appeared to be for drainage.
Morphologically, the site is a standard fulacht fiadh. The presence of cremated bone is atypical. It has not yet been established whether this is human or animal bone.
13 Wainsfort Crescent, Dublin 6W
